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CLOCKWISE: Eli Levy and his Israeli cousins during Passover 2023. Eli and more Israeli cousins, Passover 2023. Eli enjoying baked unleavened
bread. During the Levy’s seder, the kids wear plague masks. The Vered family: From left to right, Aviv, Neiv, behind her, son Noam, Dana, and
daughter, Sivan. Simon and Eli Levy in Israel for Passover 2022.
hostage topics everywhere. Maybe here we
forgot, but over there, no, nobody forgot it,
”
Vered says.
Passover can’t come soon enough for Levy,
a Detroit resident who describes feeling
cut off from relatives because they haven’t
been able to enjoy holidays and birthdays
together for what feels like an eternity. That
will change when they celebrate her daugh-
ter Eden’s first birthday, which falls during
Passover.
Levy’s husband, Shimon, is an Israeli with
an extensive history of IDF service. His first
calls on Oct. 7 were to family. After connect-
ing with them, he immediately phoned his
commander. On Oct. 8, he was on a flight to
Israel, headed to serve his country once again.
For the next six weeks, his role was to
coordinate the distribution of supplies and
materials donated to the IDF. He returned in
January for several more weeks and will stay
for additional service after Passover.
“Israel is such a huge part of our lives and
important for our children, too,
” says Levy
about the country where the couple got mar-
ried and where they typically visit at least
twice a year. Last Passover, Levy was weeks
away from delivering their second child, so
her husband and their then 2-year-old son Eli
made the trip without her.
She describes the family seder as a festive
gathering, “with cousins of all different ages
running around and having fun together in
their cute new holiday outfits.
“It’s a beautiful family time with the food
everybody looks forward to. His mother’s
love language is food, so she makes the spe-
cial dishes everyone loves,
” says Levy, who
is especially fond of her mother-in-law’s
Moroccan cuisine.
Vered’s family is also Moroccan, and their
seder is infused with Moroccan traditions
and cuisine. Passover, he says, is his favorite
holiday, for one, because his Hebrew birthday
coincides with the first night of Passover.
“There was always a reason for celebration,
and there is something in the air that makes
it more special, even with all the cleaning and
preparation. It’s a true festivity,
” he says.
These travelers also stated that going to
Israel sends a strong message of support to
the people of Israel. Levy sums it up best,
saying: “I look forward to going there, going
on with our lives and celebrating Passover, a
story of Jewish resistance and survival. I don’t
feel fear about being there, and I don’t feel
fear about my children being there either. I
think it’s very important for them to see that
life goes on as normal, and Israel will survive
this and come out stronger.
”